Step-ladder.



PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905.-

J. S. TILLEY. STEP LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED APB..17.1905.

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PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. TILLEY, OF WVATERVLIET, NEW YORK.

STEP-LADDER.

No. 808,124. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed April 17, 1905. Serial No, 255,933.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. TILLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at ater- ,vliet, in the county of Albany and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Step Ladders, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to step-ladders, and has for a primary object theprovision of a device of this character possessing, generally speaking,the desirable characteristics of the tripod or three-legged type ofladder and provided with improvements rendering the same strong anddurable, as also sufliciently rigid, to resist loosening or separationof the parts, whereby to overcome the tendency of either of the forelegs or feet to creep or spring out of their normal alinement undertorsional stress to which tripod ladders are subjected, with theresultant effect that the ladder is under comparatively short useimpaired to such an extent as to at least become noticeably unsteady andfrequently dangerous.

iVith the above-stated object in view a convenient embodiment of theinvention comprises a step-ladder having two forelegs and a relativelycentrally arranged back leg, the back leg being pivotally connected atits upper end to the upper ends of step-supporting bars, and said barsand the steps carried thereby being in turn supported by the fore legssecured thereto and projecting laterally therefrom in a divergent mannerto constitute the base of the ladder, in combination with a series ofbroad flat steps mounted between the side bars and extending for thegreater portion of their length, and combined brace rods and stepspassingthrough the lower ends of the side bars and the fore legs andsecured thereto.

The novel details in the construction and arrangement of the severalparts of the ladder will be apparent from the detailed descriptionhereinafter when read in connection with the accompanying drawings,forming to corresponding parts in the two views, A designates the ladderproper, the same comprising relatively wide side bars a and broad ilatsteps a of a width substantially that of said side bars and firmlysecured at convenient distances apart therebetween. At the upper end ofthe portion A of the ladder is mounted the usual top piece or platformB, to which is pivoted a back leg C, the latter being arranged centrallyof a pair of fore legs D. These fore legs are approximately the samewidth as the side bars a and are secured directly thereto at their upperends at points relatively near the lower end of the side bars anddiverge outwardly therefrom, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1, to providebearing-points (Z at a distance apart much greater than the width of theladder proper. That the portion A of the ladder may be rigidly supportedupon the fore legs D and also that said fore legs may be firmly braced Iprovide thelower ends of the side bars a and the braces E with alinedapertures c of a shape and size to reand steps E, the same being held inplace by a snug engagement between the same and the walls of theapertures e and also through the medium oflo'cking-pins F, passingthrough the side bars a and fore legsDinto said bracerods. Owing to thisarrangement any lat eral loosening or play of the brace-rods isabsolutely prevented, and consequently the fore legs cannot creep orspring out of their normal alinement, thereby effectually overcomingthis disadvantage, which would be incident to the ladder were thebrace-rods secured to the front or rear edges of the side bars a andlegs D. The arrangement also enables the construction of the parts justdescribed within the width of. the side bars a, which will permit closefolding of the back le B.

It is to be understood that changes and alterations may be made in theparticular embodiment of the invention herein disclosed withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

'Ilaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent, 'is

A step-ladder comprising a pair of relatively broad side bars a carryingtherebetween a series of broad ilat steps a, extending for the greaterportion of the length of said side bars, a pair of correspondinglybroadfore legs D secured to said side bars ceive and encompass combinedbrace-rods IIO and diverging downwardly and outwardly therefrom and forsome distance therebelow, the bottom ends ofsaid fore legs being freeand bordering an unobstructed space beneath the side bars, the lowerends of the side bars and the fore legs being formed witha plurality ofseries of alined circumferentially-inclosed apertures e, brace-rods Eformed complementary to and passing through said aper- 7 tured portionsof the side bars and fore legs and confined against lateral movement inany direction by the walls surrounding the said apertures, means forpreventing 1ongi- JOHN S. TILLEY.

WVitnesses:

RosE LEAoH, RUTH D. TANNER.

